At one time or another, we’ve all felt like slaves at work. Underpaid for more work unlisted or our job descriptions always seems unfair and unappreciated.

One of my college professors had us analyze and study “Message to the Grassroots” speech from Malcolm X in 1983. In this speech, Malcolm X prosecutes certain black people who were buying into an unfair American system by doing nothing and not protesting vigorously the way the black people were treated as “slaves” in 1963.

He uses a slavery theme to say that because of the ignorance of many blacks,they were really the “house” Negro who is as zealous about the preservation of the “Masters” house and not the “field” Negro who resents the “field” Negro and the Masters eating from their labor, and really wanted the Masters house to burn.

My intent here is to feature the debatable strategies of doing all you can to get and keep a job, and to  do all you can to be true to thyself. My intent is not focus on the “Revolution”, although, job hunting these days collectively is a revolution, fairness in working and advancing is a universal issue.

The “Field Negro” comparatively would be the one who did anything to be hired, even if it meant doing other things that would be considered subservient (coffee, deliver mail, etc.).

The “House Negro” comparatively would be the one who worked hard at doing the dirty work, uncompromising in wanting recognition to only do the job that matters, and would never brown nose to The Man. In fact, he would tell the boss the truth and then some.

There are so many levels of applications here, and to deny this speeches’ depth and power is, in my opinion, submitting to ignorance.

I purposely did not want to lay a framework of thought, because there are so many bullet points of varying themes. No matter what your viewpoint is, this speech is relevant, and somewhat prophesies about our culture but I think even more amplified.

Is your work philosophy  more of a “Field Slave” or a “House Slave”?

Listen and then decide.

I also include the text of the speech as well:

Message to Grassroots Text (click link for text of speech)